The Innocent Never Run
by FeetFirstIntoHell
Summary: Alternate to V3 E8. When Yang is imprisoned, her teammates visit her. How does she react? And when an opportunity arises, does she take the chance? Rated M for a few reasons. (Swearing, Major Character Death [Not detailed])


**So. This is... New for me. It's my first story (Hopefully, there will be many more to come) on FF. This is my submission for r/RWBY's January 2016 MonCon. Enjoy.**

* * *

And with a booming clang, she was alone.

Ember Celica was gone, stripped from her the moment they arrested her. In their place, Aura suppression devices clamped onto her wrist, along with strength dampeners. Twice, she had attempted to pry them off, to no avail. She'd tried to protest her innocence, explain what she saw to those around her. Her explanations fell on deaf ears, and for the first time since her mother disappeared, she felt totally alone. Now, in her cell, she couldn't do anything. Only sit and wait.

 _I'm innocent. I didn't attack him first._

She keeps telling herself that, but deep down, she knows that there's no way she will be innocent. No matter what she saw, what she thought HE DID, she will be guilty.

* * *

Time passes by slowly, but eventually, the door opens once more. The blonde remains curled up in the corner, unmoving and silent, defeated.

"Grab her." Yang shakes her head, a spark of defiance still running through her blood. She stands on her own, the tear marks so glaringly obvious on her brown vest. Handcuffs are slapped onto her wrists, and she is pushed out of the cell. The guards lead her through hallway after hallway, until they reach a small white room with two chairs and a table, a bright light hanging from the ceiling.

"Sit." Someone says, and Yang complies, the door shutting behind the guards as they leave. Minutes pass, and Yang begins to wonder why she's here, why they brought her to this room. Then the door slides open, and Yang looks up, glancing at who walked in. A man in his late forties, with black pepper-streaked hair, carrying a clipboard strolls over to the table, his face grim. He sits, looking at Yang.

"Do you need me to read out your rights?" He questions, and Yang shakes her head.

"Then let's begin. I'm Detective Johnathan Brown, and I'm just here to ask you a few questions about what happened in Amity Colosseum." Johnathan says, and Yang slowly nods, tears streaming once more.

"What happened at the end of the match?"

"There were two things that happened. My view and everyone else's view Detective. I think you're just going to go with what everyone saw." Yang responds, her voice quiet.

"I'd like to disagree with that Yang. If you think something happened, tell me. I'm here to ask questions and you're here to answer them."

"Everyone will just think I've gone insane."

"Just tell me what happened." Johnathan says, and Yang sobs, not wanting to be in the room, to be thinking about what happened.

But she tells him. She tells him everything.

* * *

After she explained, the Detective left, but she was told to stay. Time passed slowly, and Yang wished she was at least back in her cell, so she can sleep, and maybe wake up from this nightmare.

That was when the door opened, and a burst of red and black flew into the room, tackling Yang, knocking her from the seat.

"Ruby?" Yang asks in disbelief and her sister nods, arms wrapped tightly, pulling Yang close for a hug.

"What happened sis?" Ruby asks, and Yang pushes her off.

"You won't believe me. No one will." Yang says, backpedaling from Ruby, who is staring at her sister with a distant, saddened look.

"Of course I will Yang. I'm your sister." Yang furiously shakes her head, hating that her sister came to see her in this state.

"Ruby, I sound like I'm crazy when I explain what I saw."

"Yang, just stay calm and explain. There's no point in getting all worked up and…" Ruby tries to tell her, but Yang gives her a look that quiets her sister down.

"I didn't attack Mercury in cold blood, he attacked me first. He kicked at me, and I retaliated." Yang murmurs, voice cracking halfway through her explanation, eyes dropping to the floor. Ruby stays silent for a while, silver eyes studying the blonde. Finally, she says something that makes Yang's heart drop.

"Yang, I'm sure there was a reason you did what you did. But he didn't attack you at all after the match. Mercury just stood there." Ruby says, making Yang's head snap up, and give her sister a withering glare. Ruby visibly flinches, moving slowly towards the door.

"I knew it! I told you that you wouldn't believe me! NO ONE WILL BELIEVE ME!" Yang screams, pain filling her voice, as her sister, the person that she thought would believe her the most, walks out. Ruby casts one more look over her shoulder as she leaves, tears filling her silver eyes.

"I know what I saw Yang. And it certainly wasn't what you said it was."

And the door slides shut once more.

* * *

She's back in her cell when she hears the footsteps come once more. Yang expects to hear the door open, to be pulled up from the ground, and to be pulled into that room again. But the door doesn't open.

"Yang." A voice calls, familiar and quiet. Yang pulls her head up from her knees, and her breath catches when she sees who it is.

"I didn't do it Uncle." She whispers plainly, her lilac eyes meeting his red ones. Qrow is crouched at the bars of her cell, looking into the corner that she occupies.

"Yang, as much as I'd like to believe that, I can't." Qrow responds, and Yang's eyes go wide.

"What?!" She explodes, her voice hoarse.

"I hate to say it, but you…. can't control yourself easily when you're angry. What did he say to you that made you do that?" He asks, and Yang remains silent, putting her head between her knees once more.

"Yang, you can't expect me to believe anyone who willingly injured another student. And even if you are my niece, I can't believe you. That's called favoritism, and especially in a Huntsmen's line of work, we cannot show it. Listen to me. I have a feeling something did happen, but I don't know what. I'll… I'll try to figure out what happened." Qrow says, trying his best to convince Yang.

"You're just saying that. You just said you can't get involved."

"But I can pull some strings." Qrow tells her, but Yang just shakes her head.

"Just go." She responds, the knife of betrayal planted deep within her heart, and she feels like someone twisted it. Qrow remains silent for a moment, then leaves.

* * *

"Blake, you wouldn't believe me anyways. I've told Ruby, she didn't believe me. My own uncle didn't believe me. I doubt you would." Yang says solemnly, back in the interrogation room. Blake's amber eyes narrow, her mouth forming a thin frown.

"You don't trust your partner enough to tell them what happened?" Blake says, while leaning forwards in her chair.

"Not at all, I trust you! I just don't know if you will believe me. Every time I've told someone what happened, they don't believe me at all." Yang tells Blake, arms on the table, eyes cast downwards. Blake grips Yang's hand, sighing.

"It's not that they don't believe you, it's that what you're saying is contradictory to what we all saw." Blake explains, but Yang shakes her head.

"Then what do you believe happened?" Yang asks, catching the Faunus off guard.

"I'm… I'm not entirely sure. Ruby told me what you said, but what I saw…. I trust my eyes Yang, but I also trust you. I don't know what side to take, or to even take one at all." Blake murmurs. Yang's head snaps up, lilac eyes narrowed.

"What is that, karma for not "trusting you" Blake? You wouldn't even help defend me? Even after…" Yang's voice breaks, and she pauses, trying to regain her composure. "After my own sister and uncle don't even believe me? Ruby thought I was going crazy! And now you don't believe me either?" Yang says angrily, and Blake quickly shakes her head.

"I just told you what I thought about it! I didn't take any sides. I think you're getting a little emotional, Yang." Blake hisses, eyes narrowing.

"Oh, so now YOU think I'm crazy? Blake, he attacked ME first! I only fought back because I needed to defend myself!" Yang responds, her eyes now red.

"I never said that you were crazy Yang!" Blake yells, standing up, her fists clenched.

"Really? Because you just told me that even though you trust me, you don't believe me at all! ALL I'VE EVER DONE IS HELP! I MADE SURE YOU TOOK CARE OF YOURSELF, AND YOU JUST TURN YOUR BACK ON ME?!" Yang screams, hair beginning to glow.

"Face it Yang! You attacked Mercury for no reason. His leg was mutilated by you! He may never walk again, forget even being a Huntsman. His life IS GONE. Because of YOU." Blake says, her voice firm, and she pauses for a moment, letting that sink in. Yang's hair returns to its normal state, but her eyes remain red.

"How many times do I have to say, that IT WASN'T ME WHO ATTACKED FIRST?!" Yang yells, her voice echoing off the walls.

"It doesn't matter how many times you say it. It's not true. And even if he did attack first, his life is ruined. I'm done listening to you." Blake responds, walking towards the door.

"Blake?" Yang calls, and the Faunus turns, only to give the blonde a hard glare, turning and walking out the now open door. Yang's heart drops, feeling the pain of betrayal again.

"Don't go. Please don't go." Yang mumbles as the door shut, her words quickly replaced by sobs.

* * *

Weiss paced back in forth in front of the visitor's desk, unsure of what awaited her. From what Ruby and Blake had told her, Yang was losing it. When Ruby was there, she described Yang as extremely temperamental, quickly switching from a downcast mood to an angry one. Blake agreed before slipping off to some corner of the library, desperate to get away from the nightmare that she'd just seen. Weiss would have to choose her words carefully. For a moment, the girl lost her concentration, earning her strange looks from the other people in the waiting room. Gritting her teeth, she forces herself to keep her concentration high. Only a few more minutes and then she'd be able to relax a little.

"Miss Schnee? Miss Xiao Long is in the visiting room now." An attendant says, and Weiss nods, giving her thanks to the attendant, walking towards the heavy metal door. She pauses in front of it, composing herself. The door slides open, and Weiss' heart falls at the sight of Yang. The brawler is sitting at the table, head held tightly in her hands, dressed in an orange jumpsuit. A small pool indicates that she's been crying. Yang looks up, eyes red-rimmed from crying, sniffles when she sees Weiss, and her head drops back into her hands. The girl internally sighs with relief as the door shuts behind her, allowing herself to relax, if only a little.

"I was wondering when you'd come to berate me." Yang says, her voice low.

"And why would I do that?" Weiss asks, pulling the chair opposite Yang out from the table and sitting down.

"S'what you do when Ruby makes a mistake." Yang responds tiredly, not bothering to look up.

"While you did…. something that you shouldn't have done, I don't think it would be a good idea to berate you." Weiss says, trying to traverse Yang's current emotional minefield.

"Why's that, Schnee?" Yang says, head still down, but there's much less of pain evident in her voice.

"Two reasons. One, these past few days, you've been through emotional hell, something I would have never expected from you, as well as teammates and family not absolutely believing you. You've had more than enough time to think about what happened, and I have a feeling that when you thought about what happened, you got angry at yourself. Told yourself you could've done something differently. There's no point in making you feel even worse. Two." Weiss sighed, pausing for a moment. " _The innocent never run, Yang._ You didn't." Yang recoils at this, body instantly going rigid, staring straight at Weiss.

"Are you… trying to say that you believe, to a certain amount, what I said happened?" Yang asks, slowly and quietly. Weiss nods.

"I talked to Coco. She told me there was; well, to quote her, "Some freaky illusion shit going on" in her and Yatsuhashi's match against Emerald and Mercury. According to her, a fake Yatsuhashi showed up for her, and only her, in the middle of the match, right when Yatsuhashi got eliminated. She said it probably wasn't Mercury, but Emerald instead, because Mercury was busy with Yatsu. Which means Emerald directly interfered with a Vytal tournament match, which breaks a major rule in the tournament. So I'm going to try and talk to either Ozpin or General Ironwood and see if they can investigate Emerald's semblance." Weiss says, and Yang sighs, her face now filled with relief.

"Thanks Weiss." Yang responds, drying her face with the orange jumpsuit's sleeve.

"I have to go, but I should be here in the next few days. It'd probably be best if we didn't discuss me asking Ozpin about Emerald, it would make us all look bad." Weiss explains to Yang, who just nods. Weiss stands before opening the door and leaving, walking out of the prison, walking down the path, and passing through security, and leaving through the security gate. Walking for around ten minutes, she hits the main road, industrial buildings lining the streets. She quickly strides to a nearby alleyway. Quickly, she glances behind her, before walking behind a dumpster. Seconds later, someone else appears, a dark-skinned girl with green hair, wearing a white and olive top, along with white and brown colored pants. She pulls out her Scroll, flicking it open, tapping on a contact.

"Cinder, it's Emerald. Job's done. She thinks the heiress found out about my Semblance, and is going to Ozpin or Ironwood about it. I told her not to talk about it. She's not getting out of it easily. I took the liberty of talking to one of the people assigned to her case; they think she's going a little crazy." Emerald pauses, listening to the older woman on the other end of the call.

"Of course ma'am, I'll be back shortly." Emerald responds, ending the call, walking further down the alleyway.

* * *

Yang sat on the cold metal bunk, tears in her eyes. It had been an entire week since she had last had any visitors, and it was taking its toll on her. At one point, she woke, and for a second, thought that she'd seen her step-mother, Summer Rose, standing outside the bars, looking in upon her daughter. Sleep did not come easily to the blonde, and when it did, it was short, nightmare filled rests.

She was losing her grip on reality, and she knew it. Yang needed out. Over the next few days, the borderline insane brawler spent every waking moment pacing through her cell, trying to account for every scenario. And that's when she thought that she had it; freedom would be within her grasp.

"Daughter." The voice called, shaking the blonde from her fitful sleep. She shook her head, sitting up on her bunk. Outside her cell, a familiar woman stood. Yang had only seen her once, for only a few seconds after regaining consciousness.

"Mom?" Yang called softly, unsure of what to say. She hopped off of her bunk, her golden hair cascading down messily around her shoulders. Yang stood for a moment, blinking, unsure if this was actually happening. Around a foot outside, Raven Branwen stood, now as silent as a statue, white bone mask covering her face, hiding her emotions, face towards the ground. Yang remained silent, waiting for her mother to speak. Slowly, Raven raised her head, removing her mask, her red eyes instantly flicking to her daughter.

"I saved you once, Yang. Qrow was supposed to tell you it wouldn't happen again. But, seeing that my drunkard of a brother didn't bother, I will do you one more favor. Tomorrow, your sister and your… Faunus friend plan on meeting you here. When they do, I will help you out of here. But mark my words, daughter. I will not do so again. Am I understood?" Raven hisses, a hint anger behind her firm tone. Yang flinches, hearing her own mother talk to her like that. She looks at Raven, uncertain of her decision. On one hand, if she stays, she'll go insane, and may never be proven innocent. But, on the other hand, if she runs, then she would definitely never be proven innocent, only thrown into a maximum security prison if caught.

"Am I understood, Yang?" Raven repeats, more forcefully this time. Yang thinks for a moment, before her lilac eyes meet red eyes.

"Yes." Without saying a word, Raven dons her mask, turning and disappearing through a swirling crimson portal.

* * *

"Yang, I'm going to be honest with you. Even though you're my sister, I know that what I saw actually happened. What you keep telling Blake and I, it just doesn't add up. Mercury would NEVER attack someone after a match. That's not something he would do." Ruby explained, as Yang fidgeted in her seat, anxious and unsure of what was about to happen. It'd been half an hour since Ruby and Blake arrived, and Yang was beginning to lose hope that Raven would arrive.

"Are you even listening to me?" Ruby blurts out, staring directly at Yang. Yang can't meet her sister's eyes, instead opting to look at her shoes. After a moment, Ruby bursts into tears, stepping away for a moment. Blake stops leaning against the wall, walking over to the table, looking down at Yang, who refuses to look at her partner.

"Do you even realize how HARD it us for us? We watched our teammate destroy someone's life. Because of you, we're disqualified from the tournament. But that's not the worse part. Everyone ridicules us. Blatantly talks shit about you. And while we WANT to defend you, we can't." Blake pauses, looking at Ruby, still bawling her eyes out, before looking back at Yang, who continues to stay unresponsive. "You know what? I'm done with you, Xiao Long. You won't see me again." Blake says, walking over to the door. Ruby glances at her sister one last time, before walking over to Blake. The door opens, and Blake steps aside, grabbing Ruby and moving her off to the side as well, letting someone in. Yang looks up, Raven standing over her daughter, Grimm bone mask placed over her face.

"Let's go." The dark-haired woman says, roughly grabbing Yang by the shoulder and pulling the blonde to her feet. Yang looks at Ruby and Blake, both of whom have their mouths open, completely shocked. Raven leads her daughter towards the door, pausing when she passes her step-daughter. Raven crouches down, looking Ruby in the eye.

"Summer would be proud of what you've done." She says simply, before standing and walking out the door, Yang in tow.

"Yang?" Blake calls to the brawler as she passes. Yang turns to face her partner. "Who is that?"

Yang shrugs, before turning and walking after her mother. As they pass through the lobby, Yang noticed the way anyone in sight was sprawled out on the floor, hopefully unconscious. Her mother picks up on Yang's uncertainty, looking over her shoulder.

"None of them are dead." Raven says gruffly, pushing open the lobby doors, leading Yang out into the open air. Outside, more people were on the ground, guns lying discarded, shattered, or cleaved in half near each body. Raven leads her daughter to the front gate, before turning and grabbing her daughter by the shoulders.

"You will always be my daughter, Yang Xiao Long, no matter what you do. Remember that." Raven tells her, before releasing her daughter, turning around, and drawing her massive sword. Yang stood a few feet behind her, watching, almost mesmerized as another swirling crimson portal opened. Raven takes a half step forwards, before stopping and turning towards the prison.

"YANG!" Ruby screams, followed by the loud crack of a high-powered rifle, and Yang watches her mother expertly deflect the bullet fired by Crescent Rose. Not even half a second later, Yang feels a warm, soothing sensation flow from her shoulder. The blonde doesn't even feel hitting the ground. Yang looks over at her right shoulder, only to see a hole in her jumpsuit, just below her collarbone. Her orange jumpsuit is slowly turning a reddish color around the hole, and Yang wonders what just happened. Vaguely, she notices her mother step through the portal, and for a moment, she thinks she sees tears streaming down from below the mask.

"No, no, NO!" Blake screams, but for some reason, her voice sounds muffled. As if Yang was underwater. A few moments later, she sees the raven-haired Faunus enter her view. Yang coughs, her breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.

"Do not die on me Xiao Long!" Blake tells her, and that's when the realization hits the blonde.

 _I'm dying._

"Please, no, not Yang. Anyone but her!" Blake sobs, grabbing a uniform from an unconscious guard, trying to cover the wound as best as she can, to try and stop the bleeding. Yang's arm reaches up, grabbing Blake by the shoulder, gripping tightly.

"Even if you… Don't believe me, Belladonna. Do me a favor." Yang says weakly, blood trickling from her mouth, her usual tanned complexion faded to a pale white. Blake nods rapidly, trying to hold back her tears.

"Take care… of Ruby. Protect her. And watch…. Your back… around…. Mercury…." Yang trails off, her hand losing its grip on Blake's shoulder. Ruby stumbles over, silver eyes filled with tears once more.

"Sis? Oh my god, no, why? Sis, stay with me! Please no, not you too!" Ruby sobs, watching helplessly as Yang's eyes focus on something in the distance.

"I can see her, Ruby… Mom's here. She's brought cookies, too…" Yang's eyes search for a moment, before locking on Ruby.

"Summer? Is that you?" The older sister asks, and Ruby sobs as Yang reaches out, confusing her sister for her long-lost parent. Ruby drops to one knee, extending a hand, taking her dying sister's hand in her own.

"Mom?" Yang asks again, voice weaker than before. Ruby sobs again, before nodding.

"It's me, Yang. It's time to come home, sweetie." Ruby says, as sweetly as possible, tears falling from the younger girl's face, and onto the pavement. Yang smiles weakly, nodding. Then, as she draws in a deep breath, she shudders, taking in more air than normal, shuddering for a moment, before all the air escapes as a quiet sigh. Yang's hand releases her sister's hand, falling to the ground, her head falling back, eyes now unfocused and unseeing.

"Goodbye…. Yang." Ruby says, standing unsteadily, quickly pulling her hood over her head.

* * *

 _ **THREE YEARS LATER**_

Three girls stood in front of the small grave, tucked away in the forests of Patch, by a small farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Silently, the girl in white stepped forwards, placing her saber on the grave, before stepping back. The rain continued to pour, but the girls either didn't notice, or didn't care. Just as wordlessly as the first girl, a black haired girl steps forwards, her second set of ears twitching as she places the cleaver, along with a small black bow, on the grave, staying crouched for a moment, before standing and returning to her place. The two girls exchange a glance, turning and walking back towards the farmhouse. The last girl pulls her red cloak closer, sighing.

"It's been three years. I want to say I've gotten over what happened, to understand why you chose to follow Raven, why you chose to keep the fact that we were half-sisters to yourself. But I can't. It's… Hard without you, sis. I just wish that what happened at Amity never happened. You got… tricked. And we didn't believe you, when we should have. You tried telling us the truth, but we blindly pushed it away. And that decision cost you your life. Three years without an older sister, a fire that's been burning all my life. But… We did it. For you. We're Huntsmen now, Weiss, Blake and I. And once this week is over, we're taking off on our first mission. It's not for anyone. It's for you. Uncle Qrow found where Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury are trying to hide. We're gonna give them hell, just for you. For three years we put them on the run. And it'll be all over soon. I know it's not going to give us any peace, with them behind bars. It's time to bring those… bastards to justice. It's not going to help us cope without you. But it'll finish what you wanted us to start. I just wish you were beside us, fighting all the way, sis." The girl in red says, reaching behind her for a few things. She steps forwards, placing two yellow gauntlets on the foot of the grave. She reaches for another item, placing an orange scarf around the top of the headstone, pausing for a moment. She reaches behind herself one last time, grabbing the hilt of her weapon, drawing it, the scythe fully extending. The girl places the scythe down, kneeling for a moment, looking up above the headstone. For a moment, she sees a flash of gold, and then it's gone. The girl smiles slightly, before standing and walking back towards the nearby farmhouse. Ruby stops a few steps from the grave.

"Bye Yang. I'll be back. We'll all be back."


End file.
